You are influenced

Man, they say is a product of influence, I remembered how I answered the question of “What would you like to become when you grow up”

My answer as a young boy was “I want to be a Doctor”, I know you also wanted to become a doctor then. I really don’t know how we get to the point of becoming a doctor at those times. Thank God we all are not doctors today, we would have been more than the patients that ever needed our services.

I can’t exactly tell how my mind suddenly changed from becoming a doctor to becoming a Computer Scientist in my secondary school days.

Oh!

It must have been another influence, I remembered that my grandmother enrolled me in a computer academy during the break between junior and senior Secondary school. After learning different Microsoft, Corel Draw, and Adobe Page Maker packages. I started thinking of doing something around and with the computer.

Gbam! I am already a geek.

I remember how I boast about my computer skills to my class mates,  there is obviously no way to prove my skills to them, we didn’t have a single computer in my schools by then.

I wrote my first Senior Secondary Exam in SS2 ( NECO) in 2009, ( I was influenced again by our Landlord’s son) I failed it all except Yoruba Language. I felt wasted and depressed. I am one of those that get flogged for failing exams. My uncle will never let you rest when you come back with such results, I am definitely the talk of the town for those moments. Any small mistake in the house by then, I will hear him call me  F9 Parallel.

Fast forward to WAEC in SS3, I had prepared and done so much practice, Omo! I failed it all this time around.  I can remember all I went through trying to bury my failure during those times. I had printed the statistics of the failure rate by then, just so that I can justify my failure. Mehn, the situation got worst, my uncle will reply to me that how many heads do these people who passed have.

At this point, people around me were already influencing me to start thinking of learning how to trade, (Selling Jeans in Ogunpa Market in Ibadan), I remembered how I wept silently that night, I really thought it is finished.

My uncle decided to give me the benefit of doubt, He purchased WAEC GCE form for me, I know very clearly what I will be doing If I fail at this again ( selling Jeans in Ogunpa Market Ibadan Nigeria ). This time, I didn’t want to sell Jeans in Ogunpa Market, Ibadan Nigeria, I doubled up and prepared very hard. I passed all but Chemistry and Biology. I was very happy that I aced both Mathematics and English which is fundamental to gaining admission to a Nigerian university.

I figured this is enough, I carefully checked JAMB brochure to discover what I can study without Chemistry and Biology. This is the point I got disconnected from Computer Science. At this point, The condition of my failure (my deficiency in Chemistry and Biology) was the influence at this point. I found out that I can study Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning.

This was like a breakthrough! Now I can further my education in peace.

I remember again the stress I went through trying to convince my uncle about studying Urban and Regional Planning, Nothing can change my mind, I have been conditioned by my WAEC result.

I have been super influenced.

I didn’t gain my university admission easily ( Maybe I will gist you later),

The first day as a student of Urban and Regional Planning at Obafemi Awolowo University, The lecturers asked us, “How many of you chose this course?’  I remembered that out of 33 students, only 3 of us actually chose the course. We were all influenced! Something must have influenced us, Maybe Parents, Money to be made, Online Gists, One uncle working in an organization or something. We are all influenced by something or someone

Even the 30 other wounded Lawyers and doctors were also influenced! Some of them have chosen Medicine and Surgery. (Laughs)

I know it is highly possible that you didn’t get the course you wanted in your university, and now you are doing something entirely different from what you eventually studied in the university just like I am right now.  I really do have an aunt who works in the bank after studying Yoruba Education.

How does this influence matter in your life? I will gist you tomorrow.

Does any of this story actually resonate with you?

Let me know in the comment section.